Combination wagon bed and rack.



Gum/14mg L PATENTED 00w. 1, 1907. v

J. I. SHARP. COMBINATION WAGON BED AND BACK.

APPL IOATION FILED FEB. 8, 1907.

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JUSTIN I. SHARP, OF INZA, MISSOURI.

COMBINATION WAGON BED AND BACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1, 1907.

Application filed February a, 1907. Serial No. 356,438.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JUSTIN I. SHARP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Inza, in the county of Buchanan and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combination Wagon Bed and Rack; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to construct a wagon bed especially suited to hauling live stock, corn or other products, and that will also serve as a rack for hauling hay, straw and fodder.

I accompish my object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the combined wagon bed and rack, broken away at the middle, shown in A closed position; Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the device spread to serve as a rack; Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the device showing the left hand side closed as when in use for hauling live stock, the right hand side open as when in use as a rack for hauling hay or other products; Fig. 4 is a detail end view of a side 0f the bed and rack and the side mechanism for raising and lowering the side of the rack, the parts broken away, and Fig. 5 is a detail of the front of the bed and rack, broken away at top and bottom, showing a spring metal device by which an extension on the front of the rack may be held in position.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several views. v

A A represent the floor and sides'of the wagon bed and A the front end of the bed.

B B represent the sides of the rack and b b bolsters beneath the wagon bed; the ends of these bolsters project somewhat beyond the sides of the wagon bed and each, excepting the two at the front of the bed, supports a bifurcated casting I) provided with a short shaft or pin b upon which a lower rack rod 0 oscillates. The sides of the racks are provided with strips D D, preferably of sheet metal, the lower ends carried by castings b b similar to those hereinbefore mentioned, which are attached on the tops of the wagon bed sides A A and also provided with pins 12 b The upper end of each strip D is likewise provided with a casting 12, facing outward, upon the pin of which an upper rod C oscillates. This upper rod C is somewhat larger than rod 0 in circumference and about double the length. The lower end of said rod C is bored or cast tubular, as shown by dotted lines in Fig.

4, to receive rod C and travel up and down thereon, thus permitting said side racks to be lowered to the position shown in Fig. 3. The front 13 of said rack is constructed stationary and provided at the top with an extension E which is hinged to the top of said front permitting it to fold inward, thus serving as a seat for the driver and for carrying boxes, packages, etc. Rods H H are hinged or pivoted to the inside of the front ends of the rack sides near the top and are adapted to form engagement with staples or any suitable means attached to the inside of the front of the device near the bottom for the purpose of holding the sides in 6 closed position. The top of extension E is provided with clasps e 0 adapted to engage with the tops of said rack sides when the sides are raised to a vertical position and the extension folded to a horizontal position; said clasps thus aid in simultaneously holding said ex- 7 tension in seat position and binding the sides of the rack and extension immovably together. A metal strip I is bolted at its lower end to the front B of the rack and is provided with an inner projection or finger h, as shown in Fig. 5, which clamps over the top edge of a lower board across the front of extension E, thus serving to retain said extension in a vertical or upright position. To permit the extension to be lowered to a horizontal position it is simply necessary to press thumb piece It forward, thus releasing the device from its hold on said lower part of the extension. An end gate K is hinged in the rear end of the wagon bed by means of castings P P provided with slots, said castings being attached to the bed of the wagon, the slotted ends projecting therefrom, and by castings P P having curved ends, which castings are rigidly fastened to the end gate, said curved ends being adapted to operate loosely in said slots to facilitate the raising and lowering of said end gate. Rods R R operate through holes in the ends of cleat K. The lower ends of said rods are provided with double links d d to more perfectly allow a free movement of the rack sides and end gate when being raised or lowered. When the end gate is closed it is held in position by passing the lower ends of said rods under spring metal holders S S which are attached to the lower part of the end gate. To secure strength and lightness I preferably construct the body and rack of the device, except the bolsters, of cyprus, using 2 inch material for the body and 1 inch material for the rack. I further strengthen the device by means of 16 inch bolts V V, inserted inside and outside of the sides of the wagon bed through the edge of said bifurcated castings b b, their lower endspassing through the ends of bolsters b b, and held rigidly beneath the same by means of iron straps T T- and nuts t t-.

What I claim and desire to obtain by Letters Patent, is

In a combined wagon bed and rack, a rack extension hinged to the top of the front of the rack, a spring metal strip, its lower end attached to the rack, a finger thereon adapted to engage with the top edge of a cross piece of the extension to retain said extension in an upright p0sition and a. thumb piece by which to release the extension 10 from such engagement and permit it to fold into sent position, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JUSTIN I. SHARP.

Witnesses ALFRED STUBGEON, PARIS PIRCIIEY. 

